Grant Emerson (New Earth)

From DC Database

Damage

Gallery

Real Name

Grant Albert Emerson

Current Alias

Damage

Identity

Public

Affiliation

Justice Society of America; Formerly Teen Titans,Formerly Young Justice,Formerly Freedom Fighters

Relatives

Atom (Al Pratt) (father, deceased), Mary Pratt (mother, deceased), Atom Smasher (Al Rothstein, god brother), John Emerson (foster father, deceased), Kate Emerson (foster mother, deceased), Neil Emerson (Dr. Polaris, adoptive uncle)

Universe

New Earth

Base Of Operations

New York City

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Height

6' 0"

Weight

175 Ibs

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Black

Unusual Features

Heavy facial scars

Status

Citizenship

American

Marital Status

Single

Occupation

Crime-fighter, student

Education

High School

Origin

Origin

During the crisis called Zero Hour, Grant's powers became the spark that restarted the universe after it was destroyed by Parallax

Place of Birth

Mariette, Georgia

Creators

Tom Joyner and Bill Marimon

First appearance

Damage #1 (April 1994)

History

High school student Grant Emerson suddenly discovers he is a superhuman with incredible explosive powers. During the Zero Hour crisis, Grant's powers became the spark that restarted the universe after it was destroyed by Parallax; thanks to Damage's powers, the new universe evolved along natural lines, guided by nature rather than the will of Parallax

After he accidentally blew up half of downtown Atlanta, Sarge Steel was able to cut a deal for him: he would be banned from Georgia and remanded into custody of the then federally-sponsored Titans team, lead by Arsenal. After a while, though, he left to find his origins. He learned that Vandal Savage was involved in an experiment at Symbolix called Project: Telemachus, where he took DNA samples he had collected from various superheroes and injected them into a fitting vessel: Grant. The heroes Grant shares DNA with are: Atom (Al Pratt), Flash (Jay Garrick), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Wildcat (Ted Grant), Hawkman (Carter Hall), Hawkgirl (Shiera Hall), Hourman (Rex Tyler), Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Dr. Mid-Nite (Charles McNider), Starman (Ted Knight), Miss America (Joan Dale), Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers), Liberty Belle (Libby Lawrence), Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz - John Jones), Flash (Barry Allen), Aquaman, Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and Atom (Ray Palmer). Symbolix was allied with Shadowspire through Shadowspire's leader the Baron (Baron Blitzkrieg). The Baron became a recurring foe in Damage's series, starting with #3. Grant eventually learned that he was the son of the original Atom, Al Pratt and his wife Mary. Grant was forced to go underground after leaving the Titans, since he violated his parole by doing so.

When the original five Titans reformed the group, Arsenal nominated Damage for membership. Arsenal managed to erase Grant's criminal records, so he was no longer a fugitive, and Grant joined the team. After some missions, Damage confronted something he had buried for a long time: he had been victim of abuse at the hands of his foster father. After opening up to Roy Harper, Grant took a leave of absence and sought peace and healing on the Navajo reservation where Roy was raised.

He has helped the current Justice Society of America against Imperiex and the villainous team of Obsidian, Eclipso and Mordru, both times as part of a modern All-Star Squadron. He has since been seen with a new team of government-sponsored Freedom Fighters, whose activities are yet unknown. He also has something of a brotherly relationship with Atom Smasher, the godson of his father, the original Atom. It was thought that Grant had a brother, Walter, who was recently killed by Walter's superhero daughter, Manhunter, aka Kate Spencer. However, it turned out that Walter was actually the son of Iron Munro and Phantom Lady - an odd parallel to Damage's paternity search, as at one stage it appeared that Grant might be the couple's child.

Several members of the modern Freedom Fighters team were killed by the Secret Society of Super Villains. Damage was one of the survivors, though his face is severely scarred by Zoom, although this isn't revealed until later.

Damage appears in the relaunched Justice Society of America released in December 2006. He wears a full mask and a costume similar to that of his father and Atom Smasher, featuring a biohazard symbol. He also has a significantly gruffer and more cynical attitude. The villain Rebel insinuates that Damage suffered heavy facial scarring from his encounter with Zoom which is why he wears the mask. Zoom later encounters the Justice Society of America, and the fight leads to Georgia. Damage leaps into the state, although he is banned from entering, and catches up with Zoom, and holds him hostage. Liberty Belle calms Damage down, but Zoom escapes and hurls debris at his face with the intent to kill him, but Liberty Belle speeds in and saves Damage and knocks out Zoom.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Biochemical Fusion Reactor: Damage is a living biochemical fusion reactor, that constantly absorbs, builds up and produces energy he can manipulate and use in numerous ways. This energy is able to enhance his physical abilities:

• Superhuman Strength: internal energies give him enhanced strength, regardless of the amount of energy he's channeling into his body. At his lowest levels, he is still capable of lifting around ten tons casually, and with enough finesse that he doesn't crush anything he touches.

• Superhuman Durability: channeled energy toughens his skin, making him highly resistant to injury, on a level just below the likes of Superman and Captain Marvel. At the low end of the spectrum, Damage has enough resistance to stop twenty tons of force without being hurt. Bullets will not harm him, nor will temperature extremes from -100 degrees Celsius to about 2000 degrees Celsius bother him much. He's immersed himself in volcanic lava before, and suffered no ill effects except for the lack of air.

• Superhuman Reflexes: at his lowest levels, Grant has the agility and reflexes far above that of an Olympic athlete, or Batman. At these levels, Damage would be able to catch a normal arrow fired from Arsenal at mid-range, and dodge single blasts and bullets. At his higher levels, he will be able to dodge fine-point lasers at close range, and could deflect a stream of bullets from an Uzi fired from ten feet away.

• Superhuman Agility

• Superhuman Speed

• Power Blasts: Grant is able to focus his stored energy outward to produce energy blasts, which at his highest output levels can be focused into 100-ton maximum strength energy blasts of concussive force.
  

• Fusion Discharge: ability to take the energy that he generates to detonate himself like a bomb. This power is the most dangerous of the abilities he possesses and also the most tied to his emotional state and the most likely to lose control.
  

Abilities

None known.

Strength level

10-25 ton range

Weaknesses

Big Bang Discharge: If he doesn't use the energy in the aforementioned manner he is forced to expend it in a discharge, most notably the time he created the Big Bang during Zero Hour.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

• On the cover of Justice Society of America V. 2 #1, drawn by Alex Ross, Damage is depicted as being much larger than his fellow team members, perhaps because Ross confused him with the similarly costumed Atom Smasher or perhaps it was a act of foreshadowing revealing new powers for the character or that Damage is in fact a disguised Atom Smasher.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Discuss Grant Emerson (New Earth) on the forums
• Appearances of Grant Emerson (New Earth) (Chronological)
• Appearances of Grant Emerson (New Earth) (Alphabetical)
• Character Gallery: Grant Emerson (New Earth)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Grant Emerson (New Earth)
• Quotations by Grant Emerson (New Earth)

Links and References

• Damage at Wikipedia.org
  
• None.
  

Footnotes

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External Links

References